We look around and see breathtaking expressions of Beauty and Love in Creation.
God could have made us living beings, on a flat surface, existing with bread and water, in a black and white format; but instead, He LAVISHED us with amazing diversity in plants, animals, colors, landscapes, and peoples.
All these things, from His authority and power for us... which is pure sacrificial love.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
and "If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us." - 1 John 4:7-8,12
The process of our being perfected is call SANCTIFICATION, which is a cleansing and purifying.
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through" - 1 Thessalonians 5:23a
What TOOLS does God use for this purpose, and how does He engage our intellect into understanding His direction to reshape our lives?
Why are humans male and female?
Why marriage, children, and families?
Let us examine and look for God's purpose and intent in this process.
"Behold, I was brought forth in guilt, and in sin my mother conceived me." - Psalm 51:5
Fallen man (male and female) are inherently corrupted by SIN, and exhibit it's affect even from birth...
A newborn cries when self wants, and this trait becomes more focused as they grow.
Toddlers throw fits or become aggressive when self wants.
Childhood is about learning to "be good", since their self focus instinctively promotes bad behavior.
Throughout the School ages, an adolescent remains at the center of their universe; activities, classes, hobbies, friends, are focused on his/her self's likes and dislikes.
High school is about preparing for self's future (college or vocation); focus remains on MY life.
But as adulthood begins, God uses a TOOL in His structure of mankind...
Someone stands out, interest becomes more than just friendship, romance takes hold.
Now life is about more than just ME, it becomes more and more focused on another.
Marriage is a commitment to prioritize your spouse, not only above all others but primarily above yourself.
But our traits of SELF are deep and strong, which quickly can bring the focus back onto myself.
Life returns to prioritizing... MY wants, MY desires, MY way of living.
God uses a STRONGER tool...
Any mother or father who looks upon their child for the first time knows that their life has forever changed. Parents will instinctively protect and provide for this helpless baby with all that they are and have.
A man goes from being first, to second, and now a distant third. Life becomes about SACRIFICIALLY loving, protecting, and providing for others... Quite literally, "Laying down his life."
A woman will willingly sacrifice all that they are for her family; literally, "Laying down her life."
But if the world, flesh, and adversary corrupt this God ordained institution, chaos and destruction ensue.
Flesh, "I desire..."
World, "You deserve..."
Satan, "Just do it..."
Neglect, abuse, abandonment, divorce, are all results of a return to SELF.
How to DEFEAT self within our life.
To begin drawing a flow of water from a pump, it must first be PRIMED.
Priming a pump requires a little water to be introduced which begins the process of attaining much water.
To begin LOVING like Christ, God primes our hearts with moments in our lives which instinctively require some selfless loving.
Name some DISCIPLINES of the Christian faith (spiritual disciplines).
Prayer, Fasting, Tithing, Forgiveness, Submission, Humility, Service...
Bible reading, Memorization, Meditation...
Church attendance, Baptism, Observing sacraments...
Examine these and any others you can think of.
All are effectual in a cleansing (sanctifying) a person AWAY from SELF.
Love is a choice, and for love to be genuine it must be given freely without compulsion.
"We love because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19
Our CHOICE, when receiving God's love, is to love OTHERS just as He loves us, or to retain and hoard His love to our SELF.
.
God DESIGNED human existence around drawing us away from self.
God IMPLIMENTED "disciplines" within discipleship to get the sacrificial love flowing, from remaining with SELF and move it towards OTHERS (reflecting God's love, thus glorifying Him).
And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf. - 2 Corinthians 5:15
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